Joan Brown
Four Fish on Oil Cloth Table Top, 1970
enamel and nails on masonite
21 x 20 in
53.3 x 50.8 cm
53.3 x 50.8 cm
Further images
A quartet of fish lay atop a patterned tablecloth in Joan Brown’s study of geometry, vitality, and domesticity. The fish appear arranged for culinary preparation, but remain animated — alluding,...
A quartet of fish lay atop a patterned tablecloth in Joan Brown’s study of geometry, vitality, and domesticity. The fish appear arranged for culinary preparation, but remain animated — alluding, perhaps, to the fishes’ connection to the sea, another one of Brown’s favorite subjects. Known for using animals as avatars for friends and family, Brown has keenly differentiated each of the fish and arranged them descending in scale. Their slippery individuality casts shadows on the everyday gridded background, presenting a domestic scene with mystery and whimsy. Could this be a family portrait?